On Monday, August 11th, due to a large number of jellyfish clogging the filters, four nuclear reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant under the French electricity company EDF were forced to shut down.
In a statement on Monday, EDF mentioned that a significant amount of jellyfish was discovered in the pump station filters, resulting in the closure of four out of the six reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant on the northern coast of France. The coastal power stations typically use seawater for cooling and sometimes inadvertently intake marine organisms.
Data from the Copernicus Marine Service Center shows that a marine heatwave is intensifying along the west coast of France, with unusually high sea temperatures near the English Channel close to Gravelines. According to reports compiled by the beach information app Meduseo, jellyfish populations tend to proliferate in high temperatures. In recent weeks, several beaches in France have been closed due to the invasion of jellyfish – marine creatures with stinging tentacles.
EDF stated that the affected nuclear plant with a 3.6 gigawatt generation capacity is expected to resume operations later this week. Due to the high temperatures in Europe, the company had previously indicated that it might have to restrict its nuclear power output.
The company also noted that the high temperatures in the Adour and Rhône rivers could impact the cooling processes of some nuclear plants. Over the next two days, temperatures in southwestern France could surpass 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit).
In 2021, a fish blockage occurred in the filters of another French nuclear plant, and EDF’s Torness nuclear power plant in the UK has faced multiple shutdowns due to excessive seaweed.